Not the Drop-Off!

Bob: Hey, you’re doing pretty well for a first-timer.Marlin: Well, you can’t hold on to them forever, can you?Bill: You know I had a tough time when my oldest went out to the drop off.Marlin: They’ve just got to grow up som – THE DROP OFF? THEY’RE GOING TO THE DROP OFF? WHAT ARE YOU, INSANE? WHY DON’T WE FRY THEM UP NOW AND SERVE THEM WITH CHIPS?

Over the course of the last few years, I’ve talked to teachers and students about what it is about reading that they love, hate, and, in some cases, run away from kicking and screaming. Today during my session at the Pennsylvania State Librarians Association Annual Conference, we talked about this idea:

What are the reasons we begin to see students’ interest in school, especially reading, wane by the time they graduate high school? Is it a natural disinclination towards school attributable to youth culture across time? Are there other factors that contribute to this? Does this happen everywhere?

The group in the session was incredible–from sharing their ideas about what the aim of summer reading (and reading instruction in general) is, to their willingness to share resources and provide examples of what they do with their students and staff, they were spot on, and made my presentation much richer.

So I asked them the question above, and they created this list:

We need better choices for our students

When students have jobs, sports, other activities, the time needed to read is a factor

When students are awash in reading for other academic pursuits, there’s no time for reading for leisure

it’s so not cool to read if you are a guy

we are competing for attention with other media

the responsibilities placed upon children who live below the poverty line.

lack of reading advocates and “cheerleaders” in their lives.

Our definition of what we consider “good reading” is too narrow, and we discourage students from reading things that appeal to them (newspapers, comic books, magazines)

The need to find books for students that they want to read (9th grade and up)

Schools focus to much n “good literture” that is often written in another time period or culture and is uninteresting to youth of our day. Give them something current. They will hit the literture in college with better reading skills.